Valve for automatic fire-extinguishing systems.



No. 687,l49. Patented N0v.- I9, l90l. C. L. FORTIER.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC; FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS.

(Application filed Mar. 19, 1900.] (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet I. M

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No. 687,|49. Patenta d Nov. l9, l90l. C. L. FORTIER.

VALVE F08 AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS.

(Application filed Mar. 19, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheat 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. FORTIER, OF MILXVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE KNOWLES, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,149, dated November 19, 90

Application filed March 19, 1900. Serial No. 9,205. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. FoRTIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to automatic valves designed primarily to*control the admission of Water to the distributing pipe or pipes of a fire-extinguishing system. Its main object is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of devices of this class; and it consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same or similar parts in both figures.

Figure l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of an automatic valve and its connections embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification of the device.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the main-valve case, having supply and service connections and ports. B and G are the supply and service pipes. D D are the main valves controlling the supply and service ports. They are connected by a toggle-lever d d, one member at of which consists of two reversely-threaded parts connected by a right and left threaded adjusting sleeve or nut d Although one valve would with suitable connections be sufficient to control communication between the supply and service ports, each of the two valves D D serves, in connection with the toggle-lever, as a support for holding the other closed. E is an expansion-chamber formed in one side of the valve-case by a flexible diaphragm F and a cover or plate bolted therewith to the valve-case. The diaphragm is connected by a stemwith the pivot between the members of the toggle-lever d d, which iscarried to the right or away from the diaphragm past a straight line connecting the ends of said lever for closing the valves, which are thus held closed without pressure in said chamber.

G is an aspirator which is conrator.

which any impurities contained in the water nected at its inlet end by a pipe H with the supply-pipe B or with any other convenient 55 source of fluid-pressure. This pipe is provided with a valve 71 for manually shutting off thefluid-pressure supply from the aspi- It is also provided with a filter h, by

or other fluid are prevented from passing into and clogging or affecting the aspirator. I is a pipe connecting the aspirator on one side between its inlet and outlet with the lower part of the expansion-chamber E. J is a valve which normally closes the pipe H and shuts off the water or other fluid under pressure from the aspirator. K is a fluid-pressure motor the diaphragm or movable part of which is attached to or connected with said valve. It is provided with a spring 75, which tends to open the valve, and its expansion-chamber is con nected by a pipe L with the service-pipe C. Thispipe enters thelowerpartofsaidchamber and is provided with a cock Zfor draining it.

M is an air-supply pipe,provided with a checkvalve m for charging the service-pipe G and its connections with compressed air. The check- Valve 'm closes away from the pipe 0, and thus prevents Water when it rises in the servicepipe 0 flowing therefrom back through the pipe M to the source of compressed air, but allows it to pass freely through the pipe L into the motor K. N is a waste-pipe, attached to the outlet of the aspirator. controlling a waste-opening in the lower part of the main-valve chamber A. It is carried by a spring or yielding arm 1) of a lever P, which is fulcrumed inside of the valve-case A at ornear its bottom and extends upwardly o therefrom. The lever P is connected at its upper end by a link or rod 19' with the pivot between the members of the toggle-lever d d.

When the main valves are closed and their operating connections are in the position 5 cludes a battery q or other source of electric- 105 ity and abell q or other alarm for indicating O is a valve In this po- IOO at any convenient point, either audibly or visibly, or both, when the main valves are open and wateris admitted to the service-pipe C. One end of this circuit is connected with a fixed contact R and the other with a movable contact S, carried by one end of a lever T, the opposite end of which is connected with the valve 0 in such a way as to carry the contact S into engagement with the contact B when said valve is closed. U is a gatevalve in the supply-pipe B for shutting 0d the water from the main-valve case for the purpose of resetting or closing the main valve, and a is a waste-cock for draining the water from the main-valve case and service-pipe O. The valve-case Ais formed with a hand-hole and provided with a removable cover V,whieh affords access to the interior of the valve-case for closing or resetting the main valves. This form of the device operates as follows: The several parts being in the positions in which they are shown, the service or distributing pipes of the system being filled with air and the supply-pipe with Water under the required pressures, if the air is released from the pipe 0 or its pressure is materially diminished the valve J will be opened by the spring 75 and water under pressure will pass from the supplypipe B through the pipe H and the aspirator, tending to create a vacuum and to exhaust the expansion-chamber E through the pipe I. The unbalanced pressure of the atmosphere upon the diaphragm Fin the main-valve chamber will force it to the left, and thereby release and open the main valves D D, at the same time closing the waste-valve 0. Water thereupon passesthro ugh the main-valve chamber into the service-pipe G and its connections. When it reaches the level of the upper end of the pipe L, it will pass through it into the motor K, filling its expansion-chamber and producing sufficient pressure upon the diaphragm or movable part to close the valve J, thus preventing further flow of Water through the aspirator. Then the main valves are opened and the waste-valve O is closed, the electric circuit Q will be closed and sound an alarm or display a signal, indicating at any convenient point that water is admitted to the distributing-pipes of the system, so that in case of an accidental operation of the valve the water can be shut off before it has time to do any considerable or serious damage. To drain the service and distributing system and reset the apparatus, the gatevalve U and the valve h are closed and the waste-cocks l and a are opened, thus allowing the water to drain from the pipe 0 and its connections through the main-valve case A and from the pipe Land the expansionchamber of the motor K. hen this has been done, the cooks l and a are closed, the cover V is removed, and the toggle-lever d and d is manually drawn back to the right until the lever P strikes the stop a. The adjusting sleeve or nut (51 is then turned to force the valves D D tightly against their motor K closes the valve J and holds it closed. The gate-valve U and the valve h are finally opened, and the apparatus is then in readiness for operation whenever the occasion therefor occurs. \Vhen the main valves D D are closed, the waste-valve O is opened and remains open, allowing any water which may leak into or collect in the main-valve chamber to drain therefrom as long as the main valves remain closed. The electric circuit Q is also opened or broken by the separation of the contacts R and S.

Referring to Fig. 2, which shows a modified construction and arrangement of the apparatus, the supply and service ports of the main-valve case A are arranged at right angles to each other instead of in line, as shown in Fig. 1. A single main valve D, which normally closes the supply-port, is employed. The expansion-chamber E is arranged directly opposite the supply-port, and the diaphragm F is directly connected by its stem f with the main valve. A valve J, which controls the flow of the actuating-fluid through the aspirator, is applied to the outlet instead of the inlet connection. The upper part of the expansion-chamber E is provided with an airvent cock 6, and the lower part of the mainvalve chamber A is provided with a waste or drain cock a. This form of the device operates as follows: Under normal conditions the valve J will be held closed by the air-pressure in the motor K,and the expansion-chamber IE will be filled with water under pressure from the supply-pipe B through the pipe H, aspirator G,and pipe I. The pressure of the water in said chamber upon the diaphragm F will hold the main valve D closed against the water-pressure in said supply-pipe. When the air is released from the pipe 0 or its pressure is materially diminished, the valve J will be opened, thus allowing water under pressure to flow through the aspirator G and escape therefrom through the chamber of said valve and the waste-pipe N. The water thus flowing in its normal direction through the aspirator tends to produce a vacuum in the pipe I and to exhaust the expansion-chamber E, and thereby permit the unbalanced pressure of the water in the supply-pipe B to open said valve. As the water rises in the service-pipe 0 above thelevel ofthepipe L it will flow through the latter into the expansion-chamber of motor K and, acting upon its diaphragm, will close the valve J. The further flow or waste of water through the aspirator is thus stopped. After the valve J has been closed, as above stated, the main valve D will remain open by reason of the balanced pressure on the opposite sides of the diaphragm F until it is closed, as hereinafter explained. To drain the service-pipe and distributing system,close the valve D and reset the apparatus. The gate-valve U and the valve h are closed and the cooks Z and a are opened, as explained in connection with Fig. 1, allowing the water contained in the main-valve chamber, the servicepipe 0 and its connections, the expansion-chamber of motor K, and the pipe L todrain therefrom. Thisbeingaccomplished, the cocks l and u are closed, and the servicepipe '0 is filled with compressed air. The compressed air entering the motor K closes the valve J. The valve h and the vent-cock e are now opened and water allowed to flow from the supply-pipe B through the pipe H, aspirator G, and pipe I into the expansionchamber E, any air contained in said chamber being allowed to escape through the cock e. As soon as the Water issues therefrom the cock e is closed. The water being thus confined in said chamber creates a pressure therein and closes the main valve D, which will remain closed until it is again released in the manner hereinbefore explained. The gate-valve U is finally opened, and the apparatus is then in condition for operation whenever the occasion therefor arises.

Various changes in the minor details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without afiecting the essential principle or mode of operation of either form of the apparatus and without departing from the spirit and intended scope of my invention.

I claim- 1. In automatic valve apparatus the combination with a valve-case having supply and service connections, of valve mechanism controlling communication through said case between said connections, an expansion-chamber having a movable part connected with .said valve mechanism, an aspirator connected with said chamber and with a source of fluid under pressure, and means for automatically permitting the fluid under pressure to pass through said aspirator and thereby exhaust said expansionchamber when the pressure is reduced in the service or distributing pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In automatic valve apparatus the combination with a valve-case having supply and service connections, of valve mechanism controlling communication between said connections, an expansion-chamber having a movable part connected with said valve mechan ism, an aspirator connected with said chamher and with the supply connection of said valve, and means for automatically allowing fluid under pressure to pass from the supplypipe through said aspirator whenever the air is released from or the pressure is reduced in the service-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. I11 automatic valve apparatus the combination with a valve-case having supply and service connections, of valve mechanism controlling communication through said case between said connections, an expansion-chamber having a movable part connected with said valve mechanism, an aspirator connected with said chamber and witha source of fluid under pressure, a valve controlling the flow of the actuating-fluid through said aspirator, and a fluid-motor for operating said valve having a connection with the service-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In automatic valve apparatus the combination with a valve-case having supply and service connections, of valve mechanism controlling communication between said connections, an expansion-chamber having a movable part connected with said valve mechanism, an aspirator connected with the supplypipe and with said chamber which it is arranged to exhaust, a valve controlling the flow of fluid through said aspirator and a fluid-motor for operating said valve connected with the service-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In automatic valve apparatus the combination with the valve-case having supply and service connections and ports, of valves adapted to close said ports and connected by a toggle-lever, and a motor acting through said toggle-lever to open said valves whenever vthe air is released from or the pressure is abnormally reduced in the service-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In automatic valve apparatus the combination with a valve-case having supply and service connections and ports, of valves adapted to close said ports and connected by a toggle-lever, an expansion-chamber having a movablepart connected with said lever for opening said valves, an aspirator having a connection with a source of fluid-pressure, a valve controlling said connection and a fluidmotor for operating said valve having a con nection with the service-pipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In automatic valve apparatus the combination with a valve-case having supply and service connections, of valve mechanism controlling communication between said connec tions, an expansion-chamber having a mov able part connected with said valve mechanism, an aspirator connected with said chamber and with a source of fluid-pressure, a valve controlling the passage of the fluid pressure medium through said aspirator, and a fluid-pressure motor for operating said valve communicating with the service connection of the main-valve mechanism, and adapted to open said valve when the pressure is re duced in said service connection and to close said valve when pressure is restored, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. FORTIER.

Witnesses 2 CHAS. L. Goss,

MAUDE L. EMERY'. 

